Joint for sectional fire screens



J. P. SMITH.

JOINT FOR SECTIONAL FiRE SCREENS.

APPLICATION FILED !AN.13, 1922.

1,413,364. Patented Apr. 18, 192 2.

a! 55 s l5 zz UNITED STATES PATENT oFFice.

JOHN 1?. SMITH, on NEW HAVEN, coNNncrio'onnssio on TO THE JOHN P. SMITH &

(30., on NEW HAVEN, ooNNno'r oor, A CORPORATION.

JOINT non. snorioNAn FIRE soREnNsf.

Specification of Letters iaten-t. l atgntgd Apr, 18"

Application filed January 13, 1922. Serial No. 525,893.

and useful Improvement in Joints for Sea tional Fire Screens; and I do hereby declare the. following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon, to bera: full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part-of this application, and I'GPI'QSQHFIIIH Fig. 1 a view in front elevation of a three panel, sectional firescreen providedwith my improved join-t-iinit.

. Fig. 2 a plan view thereof, the end panels ot'L-the screen being shown as turned inwardly by. broken lines.

V Fig. 3 an enlarged, broken, sectional view of the screen through one of the joints thereof on theli-ne of Fig. 2., s

Fig. 4t a broken, detached view in eleva tion, partly in section, of one of my improved joint-units, with the coupling-screws thereof removed. H

Fig. 5 a view in transverse section on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

My invention relates to an improved joint-unit for folding, sectional fire-screens, the object being to provide a simple, convenient and effective joint-unit constructed with particular reference to permitting the individual panels of a folding sectional firescreen to be removed and replaced, as it may be desired, to increase or decrease the screen, without any riveting, cutting or filing operations, and so as to permit the joint-units to be re-used without change'or repair.

IVith these ends in view,'my invention consists in a joint unit for sectional firescreens, the said unit comprising a tie-rod, coupling-plates mounted in predetermined relative positions upon the ends thereof and each provided, on opposite sides of the rod,

with pivot-members, .and removable pivots for one of the said plates.

My invention further consists in a joint.- unit comprising a tie-rod, coupling-plates .mounted in predetermined relative positions upon, the ends thereof, fixed upstanding pivots located upon one of the said plates on opposite sides of the rod, and removable pivots for the other plate.

In carrying out my invention, as herein shown, my improved joint-unit consists of a tie-rod 10 provided at its respective ends with elongated, round-ended couplingpl'ates 11 and 12 tran'sversely-arranged with respect to it and parallel with respect to each other, these plates-having fixed prede'- termined relative positions, whatever their forin' and special construction, which may change without departing from my inven. tion. 'As shown, the upper plate 11 is provided on opposite sides of the rod 10 with corresponding threaded pivot-holes .13 for the reception-of removable pivots, each consistin of a screw it and a knob 15' while the lower plate 12 is provided on opposite sides of the rod with permanently-applied,

upstanding, rounded, stud-like pivots 16 respectively aligned with'thethreaded pivotholes 13 of the upper plate. As herein shown, the ends of the: rod 10 are formed with square rivets 17, which prevent the coupling-plates 11 and 13 from turniirg thereupon, whereby the alignment of the.

PlVOIjl-lOlGS 13 ;and pivots 16 is at ,all times maintained. The tie-rod 1-3, plates 11 and 12, the removable pivots 14 having knobs 15, and the fixed pivots-16, together. constitute one of my joint-units, of which the number employed in any one screen will depend.v

upon the number of panels.

The panels of the sectional-screen may be of any approved construction, so long as they are provided at. their ends with sockets or pivot-members for combination with my improved joint-units.

As herein-shown, the screenfconsists of T a wide'centerpaneland two narrow panels; The center panel comprises a square ofheavy wire-netting 18, horizontal upper and lower tubes 19 and vertical end tubes 20, which latter extend above and below the said upper and lower tubes. The end panels each consist of an oblong, rectangular section of heavy wire-netting 21, horizontal upper and lower tubes, 22 and vertical end. tubes 23.

lVith panels. as thus constructed, the open ends of the end tubes 20 and 23 provide sockets for the removable pivots 14 In the useof my improved joint-unit, the

V. of the joint units and for the fixed pivots 16" thereof.

open lower ends of the adjacent end tubes 1 of two screen-panels are set over therespective fixed pivots 16 of the-lower coupling. plate 12 of the joint-unit, after which the necessary to unscrew the removable pivots ll by their knobs 1?, after which the upper ends of the end tubes of the panels are spread apart and so cleared from the upper coupling-plate and thus permitted to have their lower ends lifted off the fixed studs 16 upstanding from the lower couplingplate 12.

It will thus be seen that I am enabled, by my improved sectional-screen joint-unit to readily and without the use of tools, remove and insert the screen-panels as it may be desired to increase or decrease their number, whereas, heretofore, screen-joints have been riveted in place, so as to require filing or cutting to remove them, after which they cannot be re-used, as under my invention. Furthermore, the user of a screen provided with my improved joint-units may order additional sections and joints and combine them Without having to send the screen to the factory or to call-in a skilled mechanic.

I claim:

l. A joint-unit for folding, sectional firescreens, comprising a tie-rod, coupling-plates mounted in predetermined relative positions upon the ends thereof, and each provided on opposite sides or" the rod with pivot-memhers, tlic pivots for one of the said plates being removable.

2A joint-unit for folding, sectional firescreens, comprising a tierod, coupling-plates mounted in predetermined relative positions upon the ends thereof, threaded pivot-openings located in one plate on opposite sides of the said rod, fixed pivots located upon the ther plate on opposite sides of the rod and aligned with the respective pivot-holes in the other plate, and removable pivots for the plate provided with pivot-holes.

3. In a folding, sectional fire-screen, the combination with panels provided with end tubes open at their ends to form sockets, of a joint-unit comprising a tie-rod, couplingplates mounted in predetermined relative positions upon the ends thereof, one of the said plates being formed with two threaded pivot-holes located on opposite sides of the rod, and the other plate having two fixed pivots located on opposite sides of the rod and respectively aligned with. the pivot-holes in the other plate, and removable pivots for the plate having screw-holes, whereby adjacentopen ends of the said tubes are set over the said studs, and whereby the opposite open ends'ot the said tubes are aligned with the said pivot-holes for the reception of the said removable pivots.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN P. SMITH. Witnesses:

CHARLES A. LEIsHMAN, GERTRUDE SCHMIDT. 

